Kerala temple bans Muslims during festival, sparks row

Kannur, Apr 19: A board outside a temple in Kannur forbidding Muslims from entering the premises has sparked a row. It was placed outside the Malliyottu Palottukavu temple in Kunhimangalam with a message that Muslims will not be permitted to visit during the festival season, which is held between April 14 and 19.

Last year too the temple was in the news for banning Muslims from entering the temple. The reappearance of the board has now caused a political stir as CPI(M) Kannur district secretary MV Jayarajan has called it "regrettable" and said that such a move would create communal disharmony in the society.

The DYFI has condemned the temple's decision to ban Muslims, saying that it is a "challenge to a secular society", Republic reports.

Reportedly, 'Naloori Samudayis', the committee that organises the festival in the temple, has put up the controversial board.

In recent history, a temple in Udupi had created a major controversy after banning Muslim vendors were banned from running the stalls at the temple premises.

The Maari Gudi temple management at Kapu town in the Udupi district of coastal Karnataka decided not to allow 'people from other faith' to do business on its land during the annual temple festival at the request of certain pro-Hindu organisations.

The organisations said the Muslims had supported a bandh against the High Court verdict on the hijab issue, which showed their disregard for the law of the land and the judicial system in India.